Cotton-chopper.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1` PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. E. N. WEST & S. E. MGGOWAN.

COTTON CHOPPBR.

APILIGATION FILED JUNE 2a, 1904.

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No. 782,089. PATBNTED FEB. 7, 1905. E. N. WEST & S. E. MGGOWAN.

COTTON CHOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23,1904.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Patented February '7, ]905.

PATENT @erica EUGENE N. WEST AND SAMUEL E. hflotHiaN, OF SYLVESTER, GEORG-1A.

COTTON-CHOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,089, dated February '7, 1905.

Application filed June 23,1904. Serial No. 213,861.

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Be it l nown that we, EUGENE N. VICsT and SAMUEL E. McGowan', citizens of the United i 4 is an enlarged bearing portion 11, through States, residing at Sylvester, in the county of lYorth and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful In'iprovements in Cotton-(.homaerm and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in cotton-choppers; and it consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

One object of our invention is to provide a machine of this character which will be simple in construction, durable in use, and eiiicient in operation and comparatively' inexpensive to produce.

Another object of our invention is to provide means whereby the machine may be adapted for use as a cultivator.

These and other objects, which will appear when the nature of our invention is better understood, we accomplish by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is aside elevation of our improved cotton-chopper. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Eig.v 1 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line -1 1 of Eig. 2. Eig. is a detail view showing the manner in which the rear cultivator-'feet are mounted and adjusted.

Referring to the drawings by numerals,A 1 denotes a suitable frame, which comprises two side beams 2 and front and rear connecting end bars 3 and i. Said bars 3 and have their ends screw-threaded to receive two mits and 6, between which the ends of the beams 2 are firmly clamped. By means of this connection it will be seen that the beams 2 may be adjusted toward and from each other by adjusting the nuts upon the bars 3 and Secured upon the beams 2 adjacent to their centers arc two upwardly and rearwardly projecting handlebars T, which are strengthened by inclined braces S and are connected together by two transverse rods 9 and 10.

At the center of each of the end bars 3 and which a longitudinal shaft 12 extends and in which it has a slight sliding movement, as well as a free rotary movement. Upon the central portion of the shaft 12 is secured a i rotary cutter or chopper 13, which comprises two S-shaped arms 14,:uljustably secured upon the shaft 12 by set-screws 15, as shown. The outer end of said arms 1-1 are connected together by cutting-blades 1G, which may be adjusted upon said arms by a slot-and-screw connection, as shown at 1T. rlhe shaft 12, and hence the cutter 13, is rotated by means of a drive-wheel 18, which is mounted to rotate between lixed collars upon the bar 3. Said drivewheel has its periphery vformed with spurs 19 to prevent said wheel vfrom slipping' and is webbed.- as shown at 20, to reduce its weight. Upon one face of said wheel is formed a beveled gear 21, which is adapted to mesh with the bevel-pinion 22, fixed upon the shaft 12 b v means of a set-screw 22. VIn order to throw the rotary cutter 13 into and out of operation, the shaft 12 is movedlongitudimilly to engage and discngage the pinion 22 from the gear 21. This movement of the shaft 12 is effected by a lever 23, which is pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 21, upon said rod 9 and has its lower end bifurcated, as at 26, to loosely engage the shaft 12 between two fixed collars 2T. The upper end of said lever is pivotally" or loosely connected to an operative rod 28, formed upon its outer end with a handle 29 and a series of notches or teeth 30, which are adapted to engage said rod to loch said lever in an adjustable position. lt will be seen that by shifting the operative rod 2S the lever may be rocked to move the shaft 12 longitudinally in either direction, as desired.

Connecting the beams 2 adjacent to the rear bar or rod -1 is a transverse bar 31, and adjustably connected to said bars '1L and 31 are two cultivator feet or beams 32. Said feet 32 are pivoted upon the rear bar 1 by the latter passing' through openings in the former, and so may be adjusted longitudinally upon said bar and secured at any desired point by means IOO of set-screws 33. The forward ends of said feet 32 are upturned, as shown at 34, and are formed with a series of openings 35. The bars 31 are formed with a longitudinal series of openings 36, and through any one of said openings 35 and 36 a bolt 37 may be passed to adjustably secure the front end of the feet 32 to said bar. It will be seen that by this construction the feet 32 may not only be adjusted longitudinally upon the bars et and 31 to move said feet toward or from each other, but may also be adjusted angularly in a vertical plane to raise or lower the rear lower ends of said feet, upon which suitable cultivator-shovels may be secured. Gultivatorshovels 38 may also be adjustably secured, as

at 39, upon each of the side beams 2, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Upon the front ends of the beams 2 is loosely secured, as at 40, a draw-bar 41, to which the draft-animals may be attached.

When the machine is used as a cotton-chopper, the cultivator-shovels are secured only upon the rear cultivatorfeet 32, and said shovels as the machine is drawn forwardly brush the cotton that has been cut by the rotary cutters 13 to one side. When it is desired to use the machine as a cultivator, the shaft 12 and the cutters 13 are removed and cultivator-shovels are also secured upon the cultivator-feet 38, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with lthe accompanying' drawings, the construction and operation of the in vention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a cotton-chopper. the combination of a frame comprising side beams connected by front and rear bars, a longitudinally-disposed shaft journaled centrally in said bars and adapted to have a sliding movement therein, a drive-wheel mounted to rotate upon said front bar, a beveled gear carried by said wheel, a beveled pinion secured upon said shaft, a

.cutter-blade carried by said shaft, a lever piv- In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE N. WEST. SAMUEL E. MCGOWAN.

lN/Titnesses:

J. H. KIRKSEY, I. M. SHIVER. 

